Railway-signal.



. No. 633,392.l Patentna sept. 2s, |899.

u. rc. uBLossER. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

\App1icston led Apr. 24, 1899.)

(No Nudel.)

s--Sheet I.

No. 633,892. Patented sept. 26,1899.

' u. c. oBLussEn.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

\ Applicltnn led Apr. 24, 1899.

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UNITEDv Srrvrnsl PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES C. OBLOSSER, OF ROHRSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SARAH M. OBLOSSER, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL'.

SPEGIFICATIONformng part of `Letters Patent No. 633,892, dated September 26, 1899.

Application aied'nprn 24, 1899. serai No. 714,339. uit mais.;

' Ton/ZZ whom. t may concern;

Be it known that I, ULYssEs C. OLossEn, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Rohrs-V burg, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailwayjSignals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and'exact description oi" the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to signals for steam, electric, cable, and other propulsive railways, and is designed to give Warning at a crossing or station of the approach of a car or train, and thereby avoid collision or other accident. While the invention is particularly designed vfor crossings, it may be used to advantage at any point along the length of a line of railway to give warning to following' trains that the preceding train is within the range of the section or block protected by the signal, thereby avoiding rear-end collision.

It will thus be seen that the invention isb susceptible of usein a variety ofpositions, and in adapting it to a particular use and situation it is apparent that many changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted'to without de-v parting from the spirit or sacrificing any of advantages of" the invention.

The invention consists of the novel features,'details of construction, and combinations of parts which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth', illustrated, and finallyk noted in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view ofV the signal as applied to a crossing. Fig. 2 is a plan View of'the mechanism located at the crossingor station. Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line X X of Fig. 2, showing the normal' position of the parts. Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the relation'ol.` the coperatingelements when the signal is set to give'warnin'g of the approach of a car or' train: Fig. t5 is a detail perspectivelview of the semaphore'-arnr.v A Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of a trip by means of nwhich the signal is set from the'movi'ng car or train.4 .Gqflesponfdig wdlkjparts, are referred win-irachena @einem :indiennes I in all the .views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the installation of the invention the operating parts are disposed at one side of the railway, as indicated most clearly in Figi, the railway being designated by the referencennmeral l. The signaling devices are mounted upon the upper end of the post 2, set in a morti'se at the end of tie a proper distance from the railway, and consist of a semaphorearm 3 and a bracket 4 to receive a lamp 5 of any approved form or type. A hook 6 is appliedto the bracket 4 and is intended to sup port an electric lamp when the latter is used. When the lamp is of the ordinary lanterntype, it is placed upon Vthe bracket 4.

The semaphorefarin 3 is composed of companion members 7, spacedvapart and entending in parallel relation, and is preferably constructed of a single strip of,4 metal bent into the form shown, the terminal portions of the Strip being broughttogether and secured to the endof a toothed sector 8,which is mounted upon a pin or journal 9, projecting laterally from the post 2. A vertically-disposed bar l0 has its upper edge portion toothed for a short distance and in meshing relation with the teeth of the sector S, said bar 10 and toothed sector being held in engagement by means of a plate or` keeper ll, extending along the outer sides of said Vparts and being` secured at one end to a plate l2, applied to the post 2, and at itsopposite end to the pin or journal 9, applied to and projecting outward from said plate l2. The companion or parallel members 7 of the semaphore-arm are disposed so as to come upon opposite sides of the bracket 4c and are provided at their inner ends with openings 13, protected by colored glass, so as to indicate danger when the semaphore-arm is turned from `a vertical into a horizontal position, the colored glasses registering with the lamp and projecting rays of light of'the same color as the glasses. A base-plate lsfconstitutingvabed, is located adjacent to the foot of the post 2 and between the latter and the'track and is provided with end bearings l5, in which are journaled transverse shafts 16 and Y17 of like formation;f ,Arms l8r are formed .wither applied jacent guides 37.

to the ends of the transverse shafts adjacent to the post 2 and are connected by links 19 with the lower end of the vertical bar 10. Other arms 2O are applied to or formed with the ends of the transverse shafts facing the track and normally extend in a vertical direction, and their outer terminalsare connected with trips 21, disposed at one side of the track and at some distance from the crossing or post 2. The arms 13 and 2O are disposed approximately at a right angle to each other, the arms 1S normally occupying a horizontal position and the outer arms 2O a vertical position. A cam 22 is secured to the outer end of the transverse shaft 17 and is formed with a shoulder 23, which is engaged by a detent 24 to hold the signal set after either one of the trips 21 has been actuated by the approaching car or train. The detent 24 is a short lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends to a standard 25, rising vertically from the base-plate 14 and having alaterallyextending; pin 26 at the end opposite the end cooperating with the cam 22.

A releasing-trip 27 is mounted in a bearing 23, applied to the bed 14, and has a cross-bar 29 applied to the inner end of its horizontal portion, slotted links 30 connecting the terminal portions of the cross-bar with the pin 26, whereby a depression ot' the upper end of the trip 27 in either direction will cause a lowering of theinner end of the detent and a disengagement of the outer end of the detent from the shoulder 23 of the cam. The longitudinal slots 31 of the links 30 receive the pin 26 and admit of said pin having play therein according to the direction of operation of the releasing-trip. A spring 32 is secured at one end to the standard 25, and its 'free end exerts a downward pressure upon the outer end ot' the detent 24 to hold it in engagement with the shoulder 23 of the cam when the signal is set.

The trips 2l are mounted in bearings 33, secured to the end portions of the rail-ties, and have pendent arms 34, bifurcated at their lower ends and receiving journaled blocks 35, through `which pass the ends of the rods connectingr the trips with the arms 2O of the transverse shafts 16 and 17. The connecting-rods 36 pass through suitable guides applied to the ties and have loose connection with the arms 34 and 20 and are returned to a normal position by springs 38, mounted thereon and confined between collars 39, adjustably secured to the rods 36 and the ad- Other coil-springs 40 are mounted upon the outer end portions of the connecting-rods 36 and are adapted to hold the trips 2l in position to be engaged by the striker or actuating device applied to the car or train for setting the signal. A resettingspring 41 is mounted upon the inner end portion of one of the connecting-rods 36 and is confined between the adjacent arm 2O and the guide 37 nearest said arm. This spring 4l is of the coil type and expansible and is compressed when the signal is set and normally tends to return the 4parts to a, primal position when released.

When the cooperating parts of the signal have been assembled as shown in Fig. l and the track is clear, the semaphore-arm occupies a vertical position and at night the lamp shows a white light. On the approach of a car or train from either direction either one or the other of the trips 21 is actuated and causes an outward movement of the arms 2O and an upward movement of the free ends of the arms 18, thereby elevating the vertical bar 10 and causing the semaphore-arm to assume a horizontal position, so as to give warning of the approach of a carortrain. In daylight the semaphore-arm can be readilyseen, Y

and at night the light of the lamp, viewed through the red glass applied -to the members of the semaphore-arm, will indicate danger. When the trip 21 is actuated,the cam 22 will turn with its shaft 17 and bring the shoulder 23 in position to be engaged by the detent 24, thereby holding the signal set until the pilot of the car or train reaches the crossing and strikes the releasing-trip 27 and disengages the detent 24 from the shoulder 23,when the resetting-spring 41, reacting, returns the parts to a normal position. When the moving car or train strikes the last trip 21 after passing the crossing` or station, said trip is depressed withoutim parting any movement to the rod 36, cooperating therewith, since its pendent arm will move upon the rod against the tension of the spring 40, the latter returning the trip to a normal position when released from the striker or actuator applied to the car or train, as will be readily comprehended.

It is to be understood that the connectingrods, the connections between them and the trips, and the actuating and the detentmechanisms are to be housed to protectthem from rain, snow, ice, and dirt and from being tampered with. The housings are not shown, being omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration and because well understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is` 1. In a railway-signal of the type described, the combination with a bracket or support for a lamp, and a semaphore-arm comprising spaced members arranged to extend upon opposite sides of the said bracket or support, and provided with openin gs in transverse alinement and registering with the said lamp when the signal is set and having colored glass or the like applied to said openings, said spaced members being connected at their outer ends and having their inner terminal portions brought together and actuating mechanism for the semaphore-arm, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway-signal, the combination of a signal device, transverse shaftshaving arms disposed relatively at a right angle to each other, an operating-bar connected by links IOO IIO

with corresponding arms of the shafts, trips for settingthe signal disposed along thev length of the track remote from the signal and operatively connected with the other arms of the said shafts, a detent mechanism for holding the signal when set, and a releasingtrip for freeing the signalfrom the detent mechanism, substantially as setv forth.

3. In a 'railwaysignah the combination of a signaldevice, an operating-bar therefor, spaced shafts provided with arms disposed approximately at afright angle to each other,

links connecting corresponding arms ot" the Vshafts with the .operating-bar, trips opera tively connected with the other arms of said shafts, a detent mechanism applied to one of 5. In a signal mechanism, asgnal device,

iactuating mechanism therefor,'a trip having a pendent arm vertically slotted, a block journaled in the slot, a connecting-rod passing through an opening of the jonrnaled block and a spring mounted upon the end portion of the connecting-rod adjacent to the trip and serving to maintain the latter in a normal position, substantially as described.

6. In-a signal mechanism, the combination of a Y signal device, spaced parallel shafts having terminal arms right-angularly disposed, an operating-bar,links connecting adjacent .arms ot' the shafts with said' bar, trips remotely situated from the crossing or station and operativelyconnectedwith the other arms of the shafts, a resettingsprin, r,V a shouldered, cam secured to one of the said shafts, a springactuated detent to cooperate with the shouldered cam for holding the signal set, a releasing-trip comprising a cross-bar, and slotted links connecting the terminal portions of said cross-bar with the detent, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inkpresence of two witnesses.

p ULYSSES C. OBLOSSER. Witnesses: v

- W. W. BLACK, W. H. HEURIE. 

